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Image Credit: Left to Right: Jack Greaves (Community Engagement Cornwall) and Brendan. Photograph by Jane Leigh

What started as a simple walk to meet people and reconnect with others turned into a life-changing journey for Brendan. After joining the South West Coast Path Association's Coast Path Connectors programme as a participant in 2024, he became a volunteer in 2025. Through the programme, Brendan discovered not only friendship, confidence and a renewed sense of purpose, but also an unexpected career opportunity. During a spring walk in 2026, a chance conversation with an Active Plus* support walker opened the door to a role that perfectly matched his skills and experiences. He now works as an Armed Forces Community Social Prescribing Link Worker with Active Plus, where he helps veterans and Armed Forces families reconnect with their communities, drawing on the same support that helped shape his own journey. This is his story.

“I originally joined the walks because I wanted to get out, meet people and start reconnecting a bit more. After leaving the Royal Marines, like a lot of veterans, I’d found that civilian life can sometimes feel quite disconnected, and the walks were an easy, informal way of being around other people without any pressure. What worked for me was that it never felt like I was attending a “support group” — you were simply walking, talking and getting to know people naturally.

The biggest thing the walks gave me was connection and confidence. Through meeting people and having conversations along the way, I started becoming more involved in the community support world and seeing where my own experiences could actually be useful to other people. That eventually contributed to me moving into my current role with Active Plus as an Armed Forces Community Social Prescribing Link Worker. I’m now supporting veterans and Armed Forces families with many of the same issues around isolation, confidence, purpose and reconnecting with their communities.

So, for me, something as simple as joining a walk ended up having a much bigger impact than I expected. It helped me reconnect socially, gave me a greater sense of purpose and ultimately played a part in opening the door to a job that I genuinely enjoy and feel strongly connected to.”

Thanks, Brendan, for sharing your inspiring journey.

*About Active Plus

Active Plus is a Community Interest Company that uses the skills, experience and expertise of injured and retired military veterans to deliver unique programmes that build confidence, improve motivation, generate a sense of belonging and self worth; helping people to unlock and fulfil their potential.

Find out more about ActivePlus: https://activeplus.org.uk

Find out more about Coast Path Connectors https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/coast-path-connectors